Footwear



April 29, 1947. R. MAUNG 2,419,785.

FOOTWEAR Filed Deo. 9, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

April 29, 1947. R MAUNG 2,419,785

FOOTWEAR Filed Dec. 9, i944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. 29, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE.

FOOTWEAR Roy Maling, West Roxbury, Mass- .4 Application December 9, 1944, 'Serial No. 567,361

(ci. 36-17) y i 3 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in footwear and more especially to shoes and slippers having a platform base element and a flexible sheet element extending over the bottom and sides of the platform base element and secured to the lower edge portion of the upper all around the extent of the upper. o

It is an object of the invention to simplify shoemaking procedures and to obtain an improved shoe structureV wherein a platform base element provides arch support for a foot in the shoe and a iiexible sheet element encloses the platform base element and provides-the tread surface of the shoe.

Another object is to provide an improved base structure for shoes and `slippers including a platform and heel unit enclosed within a tread element which is adapted to belstitched or laced to.

an` upper all around the articleV and well up out of the tread plane of the article.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve upon prior shoe-making methods and prior footwear constructions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation'of a shoe embodying features of my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a modied construction which also embodies structural features of my present invention;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view on line 4 4 of Fig. 2;

Figure 5 is a medial longitudinal cross-sectional view through the shoe of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the upper of the shoes of Figs. 1 through 5 prior to attachment of the base structure;

Figure 7 is a bottom of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view on line 8-8 of Figure 6; and

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on line 9-9 of Figure 7.

Referring to the drawings, the upper I0 as shown has no lining and is stitched at l2 to the sock lining'l4 throughout its extent around the shoe. At the back of the upper a separate piece oi sheet material IS is stitched exteriorly to the upper across its top at i8 and along both side edges as at 20, thereby to provide an exterior counter-receiving pocket 22 open at its bottom for insertion of a counter 24 between the upper and the piece I 6. Any desired size of sheet I6 may be employed to provide an exterior counter plan view of the upper I being bound in by the pocket of size to receiveany predetermined size of counter. Y o f Y Y Obviously, the upper i0 might have a lining if desired, in which case the lining would be stitched to the sock lining I4 along with the upper.

As represented, a. full length matted fibre platform element 26 has a heel lift28 secured at its under side, and the platform 26 engages the usual counter iiange 25 to hold the counter in place.

In Figs. 1, 3 and 5, the platform and heel unit 25, 28 may be loosely enclosed within a flexible covering element which comprises a leather split soft-sole tread element 30 to whose edges are secured the turned up extensions 32 which may be of leather or fabric or any other suitable exible material. The soft-sole element 3B surfaces the full under area of the unit, and the extensions 32,

are secured Iby stitching or preferably by lacing, as shown at 34, to the lower edge ofthe upper l0 allraround the extent of the upper, As a result, the platform and heel unit needs to have no direct attachment to either its enclosing iiexible covering element or to the upper or sock lining, yet it is securely retained in operative position by laced or stitched securement of the covering element to the upper. This provides an extremely flexible shoe in which parts can adjust themselves relatively during flexing ensuring a superior degree of comfort for the wearer.

If desired, a mere daub of cement between the sock lining and platform at the toe region and similar daubs of cement between the sock lining and platform in the heel region and between the platform and tread sheet at the forepart and rear part, may be employed to promote stability and to aid in assembly of parts.

In Figs. 2 and 4, I have illustrated the upper l 0 secured on a base structure having a flat tread surface from front to rear of the shoe. The base structure comprises a platform and heel unit enclosed within a flexible covering sheet which may be oiled leather comparable to what is employed for moccasin soles. The covering sheet faces the full under area of the platform and heel unit as at 30' and is turned up over the edges of the unit as at 32'. Suitable cutouts are made in the turned up portions 32', and the edges at the cutouts are brought together and stitched as at 3B to attain a smooth and tight t of the cover around the platform and heel unit.

In both of the illustrated embodiments, I prefer to provide exteriorly on the upper l0, all around its lower edge, a strip 38 of leather for constituting an attaching strip or welt to which to the lower edge regions of the upper, a welt strip stitched exteriorly to the lower edge of the' upper around at least a substantial portion `fof the extent of the upper and turned outward into generally horizontal position, a platformv unit, flexible means covering said unit and having marginal portions .turned upward into covering relation to the sides of said unit,` and means passing throughv said welt strip securing said upturned marginal portions of said flexiblermeans to the welt strip, said securing means being free from extent through any portion of the flexible covering means which isrbelow the'plane of the bottom of the platform unit.

2. An article of footwear comprising an upper, a welt strip stitched exteriorly to the lower margin'of the upper around at least a substantial portion of the extent of the upper, said strip being turned outward into a, laterally projecting position, a platform element disposed below the general plane of said laterally projecting strip, flexible means surfacingthe under side of said platform element and extending generally upward over thesides of said platform element to said general plane'of the laterally projecting welt strip, and means lacing the'upper margin of said flexible means'to said welt strip throughout the extent of said welt strip.

3. An article of footwear comprising-an upper the entire bottom area of i and a sock lining stitched together around at least a substantial extent of the upper, a welt'I strip stitched exteriorly to the lower margin of the upper around said substantial extent of the upper and turned over the stitch line into a position in which it covers the stitches and projects outwardly at the lower margin of the upper, a platform unit underlying the sock lining, and flexible ,meansr covering the bottom `of said unit and extending upward in covering relation to the sides of said unit, and securing means extending through the said welt strip and through the said flexible means and over the edges of said strip and exible means, said securing means drawing the .edges of said strip and exible means together and maintaining them together with said securing means exposed at intervals crossing said edges.

ROY MALING.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name i Date 2,077,879 Filsinger Apr. 20, 1937 2,370,109 Piptone Feb. 20, 1945 2,344,057 Pipitone Mar. 14, 1944 2,342,882 Meltzer Feb. 29, 1944 2,379,681' Cohen i July 3, 1945 1,681,623 Pentler et al Aug. 21, 1928 2,371,703 Moskowitz Mar.20, 1945 FOREIGN `PATENTS Number Country Date 596,155 French Apr. 1, 1925 216,416 British May 29, 1924 852,697 French Nov. 9, 1939 

